This invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to a recording and reproducing apparatus applicable in electronic devices for consumer use such as video tape recorders (VTR) for recording and reproducing a program, so-called radio cassettes and the like.
A tape recorder of the above-described type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,644.
The following is a description of a conventional video tape recorder for consumer use. A plurality of programs are recorded on a video tape extending in a longitudinal direction. In this case, a program head fetching signal is recorded in the starting position of each program. For instance, when the user wants to reproduce a desired program from a program-recorded tape, the video tape recorder is temporarily set in a search mode. The video tape is quickly fed to a position in which the program head fetching signal can be regenerated. Thereafter, the video tape recorder is temporarily changed over to the reproducing mode for confirming whether or not the program is the one the user wants to watch.
However, the following problems are inherent in this type of conventional video tape recorder. For confirming whether the user has seen a program recorded on the video tape in the past, and if, for example, a plurality of programs are recorded in a signal video cassette, the initial position of each program is searched. Subsequently, complicated operations are repeated, wherein the relevant program is reproduced to confirm the content thereof. Besides, it is required that the content be determined by reproducing the program from the video cassette. Thus, troublesome manipulation is indispensable for practical use.
Furthermore, this type of conventional video tape recorder presents the following problems. An erase-prevention pawl is provided on the box of the video cassette. Recording in the video cassette is inhibited by breaking off this pawl.
Hence, even is such a video cassette whose pawl has been broken off for preventing erasure is loaded in a VTR to execute a recording, the VTR cannot start recording.
When the pawl of such a video cassette is broken off to set an erase inhibiting status, however, all the information recorded on the video tape of the video cassette is subject to the erase inhibiting status. As a result, for instance, if a plurality of programs were recorded on the video tape of the single video cassette, it is difficult to set only one predetermined program of the plurality in the erase-inhibiting status.
The video cassette whose pawl is broken off to prevent erasure is then brought into an erase inhibiting status. However, when resetting the video cassette in the erase permission status, it is necessary to adhere an adhesive tape or the like in place of the broken pawl which is inconvenient. Besides, an erase inhibition status cannot be achieved where a video cassette with an unbroken pawl is loaded into the VTR body. Thus, sufficient practicability is not provided.
Moreover in a conventional video tape recorder for consumer use, a plurality of programs are recorded by reservation on a video tape extending in a longitudinal direction. In this case, the user sequentially reserves reservation information on respective programs by utilizing an internal tuner and timer. Then, recording proceeds.
The conventional video tape recorder only executes relatively simple functions. Consequently, a conventional information recording and reproducing apparatus could not execute the following elaborate control processes over external units. The same apparatus could not record a picture in a reserved recording mode while interlocking with external units consisting of a variety of picture sources such as tuners, video tape recorders and the like for a desired period as necessary. Besides, this prior art apparatus could not cause one or a plurality of video tape recorders to effect dubbing of regenerative video signals and monitors to display the pictures.
Moreover in use this type of conventional video tape recorder presents the following problems. The information for a plurality of programs is recorded only in program-recorded video tape positions per program. Therefore, when confirming or determining or searching the program the user wants to reproduce, the search is repeated until the desired program is reached. This in fact requires a troublesome operation of quickly feeding the video tape over a long period of time.
In the case of managing a multiplicity of recorded video tapes or non-recorded video tapes or a so-called series program in which recording extends over a plurality of video tapes, the following troublesome management operations are required. The user has to write beforehand, in a cassette or a cassette case of the video tape, the contents of the program recorded on each video tape, the recording time and the management information indicating whether to preserve the programs.
However, the effort to write the management information or discern the written management information by reading is troublesome. The amount of work cumulatively increases with the number of programs to be recorded or reserved and of the video tapes. It is therefore desirable that the operations be simplified as much as possible.
Moreover, this type of electronic device for consumer use, e.g., a vide tape recorder, is contrived as follows. One or a plurality of programs that the user wants to record are reserve-recorded by use of a program timer. Still higher functions are executable by employing the information registered by reservation.
Where a plurality of users commonly employ this type of conventional video tape recorder, however, the following problems arise. When modifying or canceling the reserve-registered information on the reserve-registered program, pieces of intermixed reserving information respectively registered by the plurality of users are indistinguishably displayed as is on the display screen at one time. It is therefore difficult to grasp and read the contents of information reserved by the users themselves.
If a time zone of a newly registered program overlaps that of a previously registered program, the following inconvenience is caused. It is impossible to know who registered the programs whose time zones overlap from the contents displayed on the screen. For this reason, when modifying or canceling the reserved information, the user concerned cannot see whether another user's consent needs to be obtained. Hence, there is a possibility that programs having higher significance can be recorded, or partial recording is merely allowed.
A multifunctional electronic device for consumer use presents the following problems. To execute a multiplicity of operational modes without causing any error, the user is required to input proper instructions at times adapted to the operational status of the electronic device. To satisfy this requirement, a monitor display screen is used as a means for inputting the information. Displayed on the display screen are interactive display elements such as messages or the like to display an input operation performed by the user. This may be considered effective for guiding the user's operating procedures in accordance with the operational status of the electronic device in a man-machine interactive mode.
As a matter of fact, however, where the electronic device is highly multi-functional, the contents of the messages displayed on the display screen become more and more complicated. For this reason, presumably the user cannot intuitively determine which input operation to carry out.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a recording and reproducing apparatus in which the user is able to confirm by a simple method whether or not a program recorded on a recording medium was reproduced in the past.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording and reproducing apparatus capable of controlling the erase-inhibition status of a predetermined program among a plurality of programs recorded on a single recording medium.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recording and reproducing apparatus capable of specifying an erase permission or inhibition status with priority to the condition of an erase-prevention pawl.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus capable of further facilitating systemization with external units by transmitting control signals to the external units in a variety of forms as needed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information recording and reproducing apparatus capable of further simplifying the processes of recording and reserving information when recording and reserving the program (hereinafter referred to as record/reservation).
Another object of the present invention is to provide a program reserving apparatus in which a plurality of users are able to easily grasp the contents of necessary reservation information even when the plurality of users employ in common the program reserving apparatus. Thus, operability can be further improved.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information inputting device arranged so that the user can intuitively judge the contents of a guide display thereof with accuracy.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of
an apparatus for recording program information in a form reproducible by a program reproduction apparatus comprising: a recording medium 36 formed with a recording track; and a management database recording region provided in the recording track on which management data is recorded, the management data being usable for managing a program recorded on the recording track wherein the management data includes reproduction information indicating whether a program recorded in the recording track has been reproduced and corresponding to the recorded program, the reproduction information being recorded in a form capable of controlling the display thereof to a user by the program reproduction apparatus. PA1 a device for controlling a recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a recording medium formed with a recording track; and a management database recording region provided in the recording track on which management data D.sub.AV is recorded, the management data being operative for managing programs recorded on the recording track, wherein erase permission information or erase inhibition information is recorded in the management database recording region as program information corresponding to each of the programs recorded on the recording track, such that the erase permission status of the corresponding program is predetermined so that the programs may either be erased or inhibited from being erased based on the erase permission information or the erase inhibition information. PA1 a device for controlling a recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a recording medium formed with recording tracks; and a management database recording region provided in the recording tracks on which management data is recorded, the management data being operative for managing programs recorded on the recording tracks, wherein erase permission information or erase inhibition information is recorded in the management database recording region such that the program on the recording medium 36 is erased (or erasure is inhibited) based on the erase permission information or erase inhibition information. PA1 a control device for use with a recording and reproducing apparatus arranged to record at least one program on recording tracks formed on a recording medium wherein a management database region is formed in predetermined positions of the recording tracks in which management data corresponding to the program is recorded in the management database in a form which is reproducible by the recording and reproducing apparatus; the management data including external unit control data operative when reproduced by the recording and reproducing apparatus to control a plurality of external units coupled with the recording and reproducing apparatus. PA1 in a program storage device arranged to record at least one program on recording tracks formed on a recording medium thereof, a management database region is formed in predetermined positions of the recording tracks in which management data corresponding to a program is recorded, the management data including a recorded program flag which is operative when changed to a recorded program state to redesignate recording reservation information corresponding to a respective program which has been recorded to recorded program information. PA1 a storage device for controlling the display of program reservation information by a program reproduction apparatus for programs stored in the storage device comprising: a recording medium formed with recording tracks having portions provided for storing at least one program wherein management database recording regions are provided on the recording tracks for recording management data corresponding to each program in a form which is reproducible by the program reproduction apparatus, the management data including subscriber data corresponding to at least one respective program, the subscriber data being operative when reproduced by the program reproduction apparatus to control the display of a reservation status of the respective program by the program reproduction apparatus. PA1 an information inputting apparatus for prompting a user response by providing an interactive display representing operating conditions of an electronic device on a display screen thereof comprising a message display means for displaying a personified guide character on the display screen in association with the displayed messages and exhibiting expressions and actions for conveying information to users corresponding to the contents of the messages displayed by the interactive display means.
A representation element is displayed based on the reproduction information. It is possible to confirm whether or not each recorded program was reproduced in the past by a simple method of discerning the representation element. This method does not require troublesome efforts to determine the contents of each recorded program by reproducing it.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have also been achieved by the provision of
The erase permission or erase inhibiting of each of a plurality of programs recorded on the recording medium is specified by the erase permission/inhibition information recorded as program information in the management data recording region. When the recording medium is changed and program information having erase inhibition information recorded therewith is read therefrom, erasure of the program can be prevented.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been achieved further by the provisions of
The information for specifying erase permission or erase inhibition is recorded in the management data recording region of the recording medium. Based on this information, the erase permission or inhibition status of the recording and reproducing apparatus is controlled. The user is thereby allowed to specify the erase permission or erase inhibition status as necessary when setting the management data D.sub.AV. As a result, the operability of the apparatus can be further improved.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have also been achieved by the provision of
The external unit control data stored with the management data are transmitted as control signals to the external units. The plurality of external units can thereby be controlled.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been further achieved:
The recorded program flag is recorded in the management database recording region. The program information previously written as reserving information is redesignated as recorded program information, thereby further simplifying the processes of recording and reserving information.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been achieved still further by the provision of
A registration status of the program is displayed on a display screen of the program reproduction apparatus in accordance with the subscriber data. Even when a plurality of users commonly employ the storage device, the subscribers are able to readily confirm the program reservation status of their respective programs. It is therefore feasible to accurately grasp the program reservation status.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention have been achieved yet again by the provision of
When the interactive display message is provided to the user, the guide character is displayed exhibiting expressions and actions corresponding to the contents of the message. The user is therefore able readily to intuitively grasp the operating conditions of the electronic device with the help of the guide character. The corresponding information inputting operation can be performed more easily and accurately.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.